Surviving As An Obsessive Servant

“…What?”For the first time, Edric did something he usually hated—He asked a stupid question, even though he had heard it clearly the first time.“…Marriage?”And then, he asked again.His knight nodded too many times, as if trying to make sure the message got through.“Yes, my lord! It’s written very clearly—marriage!”“…….”Edric was more shocked than when he had been ambushed by barbarians.His parted lips failed to form any words.Lobel. Marriage.Those two words did not belong together.It made as much sense as an orc becoming a holy priest.His knight mistook his reaction for happiness.“This is wonderful news, my lord!”Everyone knew that Edric had been paying extra attention to news from the mansion lately.And, even though he was normally cold and scary, he had always treasured his former personal servant.Thinking his lord would be pleased, the knight grinned and became even more talkative.But behind him, Arif let out a tense sigh and muttered,“Sir Tracey.”Then, he punched the knight in the back.Every knight here had strong survival instincts.They had faced countless ambushes and could sense danger as well as they could wield their swords.Now, those instincts screamed at them.One by one, the knights stepped back, slowly making their way toward the exit.But unfortunately, Tracey—who was terrible at reading the room—continued speaking without a clue.“Ahem. The groom is…”He paused dramatically before revealing,“Lobel’s first love! someone he has loved for a long time! Oh, and it’s from Wins Empire.”Wins Empire.A land proud of its pure bloodline, where foreigners were not welcome.Gaining citizenship there required a massive donation, a clear message that outsiders shouldn’t even try to move in.Everyone already knew this—but Tracey, excited, kept listing facts as if revealing something new.“Lobel has been saving up money since childhood to gain Wins Empire’s citizenship! And now, he’s spending everything on this marriage!”That was how Edric finally got some of the answers he had been wondering about—But not from Lobel.From someone else.“Her family has already agreed, so he will soon propose to his first love and get married!”When the knight finally finished his report,Edric let out a soft laugh.The knights, who had slowly backed all the way to the tent’s entrance, froze on the spot.They had never seen their lord laugh before.And, as expected of a beautiful man, his smile was dazzling, almost blinding.But no one could appreciate it.Because—The air was thick with bloodlust.It was worse than having a sword pressed to their throats.“Who is that bastard?”Edric’s elegant eyes were filled with madness.  ****  Three weeks before Young Master’s return.Rimson was the first to come back.Young Master had given him special instructions, and he had been assigned an important role—handling communication between the duke and Edric.It seemed his loyalty during the dangerous years in the north had been recognized.Well, he knew more about the situation there than anyone, so acting as a messenger made sense.In many ways, it was a good thing.Rimson, who used to curse nobles, now proudly called himself a trusted aide of one.But despite his new status, his rough, carefree way of speaking hadn’t changed at all.“Are the preparations going well?”“Hello, Brother Rimson!”“Yeah, yeah. But why do you kids look so stiff? Relax. Lobel, you need to be more serious.”“Why would I be? You just want to act superior.”“Hey, that’s no way to talk to the future assistant of the duke!”Rimson pretended to punch me on the head.I glared at him.Still, he did look a lot neater than before.He always used to say he’d die in Denkart, and now, even his appearance reflected that change.Even the beard he once treasured was completely gone.Once the new servants finished greeting him, Rimson gestured for me to follow him to the backyard.He had something to say in private.As soon as we arrived, he lit a cigarette.“Cough, cough.”He sighed, looking at me like I was pathetic.What was that look for?He was the one who picked up a bad habit, not me.I covered my mouth with one hand and shielded my eyes from the sun with the other.‘Ugh… it’s too bright.’After years underground, my eyes weren’t used to sunlight.And worse, my throat was burning.I had always had sensitive lungs.“Sorry. Let me just finish this.”“You should quit. Tilly hates it.”“You think I don’t know that? But quitting isn’t that easy.”He scowled, using the same excuse all smokers did.Despite his new noble-like title, his rough attitude hadn’t changed at all.Which made me wonder—Would Young Master be the same?When Rimson first returned, I had tried to casually ask about Edric.Kids change a lot as they grow, and I was curious—Not only because he was one of the most handsome men in this world’s story,But because he was also the one I cherished most.But Rimson avoided the topic.He glanced around nervously, as if afraid someone might overhear, and just yelled—“Just wait and see for yourself!”Even the knights who had returned injured refused to say much.They insisted on being formal and wouldn’t speak about Edric casually.Which meant…Edric was still a good person.If he had turned cruel, Rimson would have been cursing him nonstop.After all, Rimson had hated the duchess more than anyone.When she left for the countryside under the excuse of “recovery,” he had celebrated the most.‘Now that I think about it… I feel much better.’People don’t change completely.Even if Edric had changed, his true nature wouldn’t have.He was still beautiful and cute.Ugh.Just thinking about it made me miss him even more.“Lobel. Why are you smiling like a weirdo and twisting around like that?”Rimson looked at me as if he had witnessed something horrifying.“Weirdo? That’s rude. Anyway, you said you were looking for a house. Did you find one?”“Yeah. Near the south gate of the capital.”“The south gate…?”I trailed off.That area was cheaper, but it was far from here.Why bother making that long commute?As Edric’s former servant and now an important aide, Rimson could have stayed in one of the best guest rooms in Denkart.Nowhere else would be better than here.So, I tried to persuade him.“Don’t waste your money. Just stay here. Why leave?”“Are you kidding?! Once the young master becomes a duke, I’ll move in then! But for now, I refuse to stay!”“Why?!”“…You’ll understand soon. But you’ll be fine, so just stay put.”“I’m leaving after greeting Young Master, remember? I told you—I’m getting married.”“You expect me to believe that?”He stubbed out his cigarette and looked at me like I was the dumbest liar he had ever met.I had already told Wayne about it.No way I could back out now.“Anyway, Lobel.”“Finally getting to the point? What took you so long?”From the way he had been dodging my gaze and stalling, I knew this was going to be a difficult request.I had assumed he was going to ask for money and had already decided how much I was willing to lend him.But then—His actual request caught me off guard.“I, uh… overheard something.”“About?”He cleared his throat before saying—“The emperor is planning a grand welcome ceremony for Young Master.”A welcome ceremony.I had expected that.Despite their complicated history, the imperial family had always tried to appear friendly with Denkart.Now that Denkart was more powerful than ever, the emperor would want to show nobles that they were still allies.And Edric had left without formally getting engaged to Princess Delilah.Without that official tie, the emperor was probably nervous.“Is there a set date?”“Probably right after he returns.”That made sense.The emperor was known for being impatient.But… why hadn’t I heard about this before?Even if the exact date wasn’t decided, Wayne would have at least warned me.As I frowned, Rimson suddenly grabbed my hands tightly.“So, Lobel…”“…What?”“Can you come with me to the capital for an errand?”